PHILADELPHIA – – November 04, 2026 -- Verismo Therapeutics' CD19-targeted KIR-CAR T therapy SynKIR-310 produced an 80% objective response rate (4 of 5 evaluable patients) in relapsed or refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL), with no cytokine release syndrome (CRS) or neurotoxicity (ICANS) of any grade. The data come from the first two dose cohorts of the Phase 1 CELESTIAL-301 trial (NCT06544265). The company will present updated results as an oral presentation at the 68th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting.
SynKIR-310 delivers 60% complete response rate and no dose-limiting toxicities in early cohorts
Across dose cohorts 1 and 2, the complete response rate was 60%. Median duration of response in complete responders has not been reached, and one patient remained in complete response at the 12-month assessment.
No dose-limiting toxicities were observed. Three of the six treated patients received SynKIR-310 in the outpatient setting. Patients had received at least two prior lines of therapy.
ASH oral session on Dec. 13 expands data to dose cohorts 1 through 3
Michael Tees, M.D., of the Colorado Blood Cancer Institute, will present on Dec. 13, 2026, from 5:45 to 6:00 PM at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans (Session 704, Publication Number 708). The presentation will add pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic correlative data across cohorts 1 through 3. Verismo will release the full clinical readout at the time of presentation. ASH runs December 12-15, 2026.
Two preclinical posters target antigen escape and cytokine toxicity
On Dec. 14, 2026, from 6 to 8 PM, Verismo will present two posters. The first, led by Nora Yucel, Ph.D., introduces a CD19/CD20 dual-targeted KIR-CAR aimed at antigen heterogeneity, which the company describes as a leading cause of relapse after conventional CD19 CAR T. The construct showed substantially reduced cytokine levels versus a single-chain benchmark.
The second poster, from Megan Blair, Ph.D., compares SynKIR-310 head-to-head with single-chain CD19 CAR T designs. SynKIR-310 achieved deeper tumor control with substantially lower cytokine production.
Multi-chain design splits target binding from T cell activation
The KIR-CAR platform pairs an NK cell-derived killer immunoglobulin-like receptor with DAP12. This splits target binding and T cell activation signals, independent of CD3 signaling and without additional co-stimulation. Verismo, a subsidiary of HLB Innovation, says the design is intended to limit background activation and early T cell exhaustion seen with single-chain CAR T. The platform is adaptable to ex vivo and in vivo delivery.
Verismo's second clinical asset, SynKIR-110 (NCT05568680), is also in Phase 1.